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NCAA MEN'S FROZEN FOURApril 10, 2014Rick BennettMat BodieDaniel CiampiniShayne GostisbeherePHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA Union – 5 MODERATOR: We'll start first with some opening thoughts from Coach Bennett. Rick. COACH BENNETT: I guess we're going to get after it right away here. My hat's off to Boston College. It's a very dangerous team over there with a lot of excellent hockey players. Obviously well coached by the coaching staff. We have a tremendous amount of respect for them, and they showed it tonight. And obviously we came out on the fortunate side. But that was one heck of a team over there. MODERATOR: Questions for the players. Q. Mat, two years ago you and I talked about how exciting it was for you guys to get your ECHA championship game and go to the Frozen Four, but you wanted more; that you knew that there was more that this team could accomplish. Now here we sit almost two seasons later. You've won three ECHA championships. You've got another shot at the Frozen Four and now a chance at a national title. What have you seen in regards to the growth of this team to put you guys in a position to accomplish this feat? MAT BODIE: I think the biggest thing is the mindset. When I came in here as a freshman, you know, there were goals set, but our ultimate goal was not to win a national championship that game. And that bothered some guys. The next year was to win a national championship. And we took a step towards that. We won our league for the first time. And then it's just been growing each year. Coach preaches you're getting better every year. And I think that's what we've done over the past four years. Q. Guys, just take us through that five‑minute penalty kill and how important was it not only to the kill the play but get the goal after that? And quick for Daniel, your three‑goal game and talk about that? DANIEL CIAMPINI: One at a time, Ken. It was good. I got very, very lucky tonight. And I thank my linemates and Shayne for blasting my stick away there. It broke on the tip. You know, it's good that I could produce. And I was kind of, as Sam quoted, on the schnide. But it's good to get that out of the way. MAT BODIE: When that happened, the team talked on the bench and just said it's time to bear down. It was an unfortunate play for Matt Hatch. And we're family in here and he's one of our brothers and we didn't want him to go out that way. And I think everyone stepped up and we didn't really give him much. And then you get rewarded with hard work. We scored that goal, and that was a huge goal for us. SHAYNE GOSTISBEHERE: Just like what Bo just said. Bodes got us together on the bench there and just said five‑minute P.K. Pretty sure if we kill that, we'll kill their momentum. And, again, both leadership really helped and shined out there for us, and we killed it off. Q. Daniel, so much was made about Boston College's top line coming into this game. But your line ends up with six points, I think, and you end up with three goals. Can you talk about how you knew ‑‑ or the confidence your line might have offensively? DANIEL CIAMPINI: We had to respect the line, obviously. They're a great team ‑‑ or a great line, sorry, and it's hard to keep them off the scoresheets. So we had to respect them. But at the same time we couldn't sit back. We had to keep pushing the pace. And I think that's something that we talked about, especially in the third period, was continuing to push the pace and keep going forward, not sitting back. It was a 2‑2 hockey game. So I think that was the main thing that we wanted to do. But we always have to respect them. We had three great guys on that line. And they're going to have hell of careers going forward, but I feel like that was the biggest thing that we needed to do is just push back and not just sit back and let them come at us. Q. Mat, yesterday you guys all talked about 2012 and how everybody kind of felt you were all caught up in the moment, got a little overwhelmed. They score on their first shot of the game tonight. Can you talk about in the final 58 minutes showed what kind of growth this team has made since then? MAT BODIE: Yeah. I think that's the mindset that we come in. It's just one shift at a time. Other teams are going to score goals at you. That's how hockey goes. And it's just the mindset the guys have going in. Just bounce back. We've done a great job of scoring quick goals after other teams have scored. It took us for a while, but we felt if we got one we'd get a few more. And obviously that second period was huge for us. Q. Shayne, you hoped to eventually play in this building full time. You know there's Flyers scouts watching you. What does it mean to you to have a game like today and hopefully Saturday? SHAYNE GOSTISBEHERE: Means a lot to me and my team. My focus is with my team right now. I was just happy I could contribute today, tonight any way I could. And it shows how our team works hard. We haven't been down ‑‑ I don't think I even remember the time the team scored the first goal of the game. Our team just didn't get down at any moment. And just great leadership and just everyone in the locker room just pulling on the same rope. Q. Guys, Coach York and the BC players said during that five‑minute power play they felt they were out of sync. Did you sense that and did you gain confidence as the kill went along? MAT BODIE: Yeah, I think we gained confidence once that kill was over. To score that goal was huge. They're a very dangerous team. Quick offense. I've never seen a team battle to the end like they have, being down twice in the last, whatever, four or five minutes there. But we were just taking it one shift at a time in that kill. I'm sure guys were looking up at the clock and just hoping it would run out. But it's just a great job by everyone involved on our team to get that kill. DANIEL CIAMPINI: He pretty much hit the nail on the head. But I think that we knew, like Mat said before, if we were to kill that or we would kill the momentum, and I think that was definitely our pushback. Q. Going back to that five‑minute kill, was there any thought coming in in tendencies that you're really trying to take away from BC on the P.K.? SHAYNE GOSTISBEHERE: The main focus, we knew the puck was going to be in Johnny's hand coming up ice. That was our focus. But when it was in zone, we stuck to our system. I don't think we've changed all year our system to any team. We just knew that it was a big kill. And if we got that kill, it would be a big momentum swing. Q. Mat and Shayne. You guys have one of the best blue lines in the country. And it's even more so when you look at your team defense overall. What do you guys see as your strengths? MAT BODIE: I think we both make up heads‑up decisions, both skated really well. But our whole defense, everyone can make plays, everyone's smart back there. And I think we do a real good job talking to each other and letting each other know where we are, and I think that's one of the reasons why we've been able to break out so successfully over the past couple of months here. SHAYNE GOSTISBEHERE: Just like what Bode said, a big part of what the Coach wants us to do in the D zone is communication. That's a big part of our team. And without communication things can get hectic. But I think what Bodes probably won't say, but behind the scenes the guy's a great leader and he calms everything down. We're down a goal, tied, whatever, just like that, leadership is a big part of why our team is where we are, because of that guy. Q. Daniel and Shayne, I want you to expand upon‑‑ you talked about Mat's leadership. I don't know what was said between first and second period, but could you just reflect on what that goal to tie up the game was to get you guys back and know that everything was going to be the way you wanted it to be? DANIEL CIAMPINI: What was said in the locker room is pretty much we're okay. I don't think there was ever a doubt in our mind that we weren't okay. We were in a good position. It was 2‑2 hockey game. They finished the period with a little bit of momentum, but we got the break we needed. And I felt like we went back out on the ice and we really pushed the pace. I think that was the biggest thing that Mat alluded to in the locker room. Q. I was talking about his first goal. DANIEL CIAMPINI: Oh, I guess there wasn't really much to say. It was a big‑‑ we usually score right after teams scores. We've had a tendency to do that. Like Mat said, we took a little bit longer, but we stayed with it. We kept doing what we do best. Let's just get working teams down low. We got a good opportunity, and Mat Bodie made a good shot and he seems to find that spot. Q. Mat and Shayne, would you talk about the goaltender being ‑‑ it's imperative that the goaltender be one of your better penalty killers. Could you talk about his performance tonight. MAT BODIE: Stevens has been great for us all year. He made some big saves for us. The biggest thing that he brings to our team is a calm demeanor back there. He's never out of sync, and guys feed off that. And I think that's not something you can really keep stats of, but it really helps our team and it really makes us go. SHAYNE GOSTISBEHERE: Yes, Steve‑O is the backbone of our defense and our team. The things that he did this year, the saves he's made, you can't even describe it. He's a great kid off the ice, too. And what he does in net is pretty special. And sometimes you ride your goalie all the way. But right now Steve‑O, he's our backbone right now and pretty much a big part of our team. Q. Shayne, I know you've been in the area before for development camp and such. I don't know if you've been in this building. But if you haven't, did you take a minute to look around, maybe look up at the stands or just take a minute to kind of take it all in? SHAYNE GOSTISBEHERE: It's pretty funny, me and Bodes were just talking in the locker room. We were just so keyed into the game. We were like, isn't there a big crowd out there? We didn't really notice. It's a great building. I'm sure it will all sink in after this. But right now it's just about playing that game. Q. Mat, you only had four goals going into the regional. You've had three in the last three games. Is there anything that you've done differently, or is it just kind of going in for you right now? MAT BODIE: Just shooting the puck. I've had coaches tell me: Develop that shot. And I've been working on the five shot all year. I think I've got two of them, two slap shot goals there. But it's just a matter of getting pucks through. Sometimes throughout the regular season I probably had some goals stopped that probably could have gone in. But I'm just trying to help the team and just throwing pucks on net. MODERATOR: Congratulations. Questions for Coach Bennett. Q. Just take us through that whole five‑minute power play and then also the goal that gave you guys the lead. Not only to be able to kill, but do you think the momentum won the‑‑ the strip by Sullivan to lead Vecchione and his goal? COACH BENNETT: I guess the five‑minute major, obviously they made the right calls here tonight, the refs. So that was put on us. And I thought the guys just basically responded in the right way, the guys that did kill it, along with Colin plus our "D", just did a phenomenal job. It was a nice turning point. And the bench was actually pretty calm when it happened. And it just seemed like it all happened so fast. First two minutes, you see Hatch coming across the ice and he realizes the five. And the boys just responded in the right way. Q. Coach, with two minutes left in the game, Ciampini, Patrick, goes down and blocks the shot, eats the puck, play goes dead. Is that kind of the perfect example of guys buying into your system and how have you seen that buy‑in develop this season? COACH BENNETT: We've had some blocked shots because we didn't think we blocked a ton tonight. Because their defensemen were so good at getting pucks through. I thought that was actually the best defensive corps that we've faced of getting pucks through. But at crucial times, as you mentioned, there were some nice blocked shots that we needed that really lifted our bench. Q. Coach, Shayne mentioned keying in on Johnny Gaudreau in the power play. Were there things that you saw BC do on the power play on film you wanted to try to stop and how did you think you executed in that game plan? COACH BENNETT: We knew to keep our sticks down on the ice, because you know they're so good at finding those seam passes. That's one. Trying to get in shot lanes. We just talked about that one about two seconds ago: When Matheson gets that puck up top there, he's very dangerous. And he kind of sets the tone. And, I mean, you're feeding off the both sides to Johnny Gaudreau and Kevin Hayes. It's a dangerous combination. But I think it was more being in shot lanes and keeping sticks on the ice to prevent the seam passes. Q. Coach, obviously because of his connection to the Flyers, Shayne has been asked a lot of things that have been distracting or could be distracting away from what he's here for. Could you talk about how he's handled that, how he's kept his focus with this team amongst a whole bunch of questions and stuff like that? COACH BENNETT: How has he handled it? I think he's handled it excellent. I think you saw by his play tonight. I think we learned as a coaching staff and our first year of coaching going into the last Frozen Four, I don't feel I did a good enough job with Jeremy Welsh. It was such a circus behind it. And this time I went to Shayne early in the week. I talked to our staff. And just wanted to know how I could help him. Obviously whatever comes of this, it's an ownership. It's going to be his decision. I'm not worried about that. As I said before, he plays for Union College, and that's all that matters to us. And whatever happens after that game Saturday night happens. But he knows that we're with him here as a coaching staff and we're here to help him. Q. Could you address the expectation, the preparation and the reality of facing Boston College's top line tonight? COACH BENNETT: We didn't really talk about that line much at all, to be quite honest with you. We just‑‑ we showed a little on film, I think it was a few days ago, and showed them they're very dangerous. But called them by their numbers, never by names. And we faced some pretty good lines within our league. And there's some very dangerous players just like the Boston College players. That's not taking away anything from that top line. But we faced a lot of top lines, and I think our league prepared us well. Q. Playing off what I asked Daniel, with all that's made of their top line, your top line probably got overlooked a little bit coming into this game. Could you talk about the way they performed with that in mind? COACH BENNETT: You know, tonight was one of those nights where I don't know if we had a top line, because I thought some of our guys on the top line, if you asked them, probably didn't have their best games. And maybe that's a good sign for us going into Saturday night, at least I hope. Knock on wood here with that one. But I think too much is maybe said of top lines. Johnny had one goal and two assists there at the end and Kevin Hayes had a couple of assists there, too. But just with us it's gotta be a team thing. We don't really have a top line. It's gotta come from everybody. Q. How do you guard against the emotional letdown from tonight heading into Saturday over these 48 hours? COACH BENNETT: I think what you heard earlier from Mat Bodie and Daniel Ciampini and Shayne Gostisbehere, the leadership, it's gotta come from them. As coaches, we can tell them just to relax and take it easy and all this other stuff and what other coach‑speak you want, but it makes us feel good as a coaching staff to say it. They're a pretty level‑headed group. And I guess we're just going to have to see. This is the furthest our program has ever been. So we're going to have to learn basically through this. But what's important now is those guys go back, watch a game on TV, get a meal in them, rest up and get ready for tomorrow's practice. Q. Seemed to be a little bit of a shift in gears into the second period. Were there any adjustments in the locker room, focus areas coming into the second period; they seemed to step it up a bit after that first period? COACH BENNETT: Yeah, we just told them that keep playing like that, we're going to all walk home. So that's what we said to them. Seriously, it was, again, just have a couple of adjustments. We had to have a transition to "D". We didn't want to get caught in that run‑and‑gun game. Just mentioned it earlier, can we play that way at times? Certainly. But it's really not our structure, it's not within our foundation. We have to‑‑ sometimes you need to go through that to find out what type of team you are playing and through that we learn that, how it's going to be. And once we got back to our game I thought that's what settled it down. But I think the turning point was us scoring that goal. Q. If you could just talk about Vecchione's goal, an unlikely combination for those two players, and the timing of it and how they ended up putting that together? COACH BENNETT: It was pretty special. Mike Vecchione has been a phenomenal player, as well as Kevin Sullivan. I think Kevin Sullivan has been a huge piece of our team this year, as he has the past three seasons. But he really stepped it up this past season and come up at crucial times. And where you really notice Kevin is the fact of his‑‑ on the bench. He's saying the right things. And it's really helping the leadership group, the senior class, a ton. And Mike Vecchione has been a part of it. Obviously you saw tonight he has excellent feet. And he can score a big goal now and again. I think anytime you have 13 goals as a freshman, you must be doing something right. Q. Coach, what have you seen or what is your assessment on the growth of this program over the past couple of years in order to put yourself in a position to play for a national title? COACH BENNETT: I think it started‑‑ just starting as a staff. First meeting in September, you know, you go in there, it's your first year on the job. You just have a whole new staff. These guys are looking at you, saying what's he going to come up with here in this opening meeting. And I think it was the last bulletin point: We're here to play for a national championship. I think what the guys had gone through in the spring when we first got the job, it was a lot of rugged moments there, stuff they probably didn't want to do. But I think if you want to push players, push your team, you gotta put them through scenarios and positions where they don't want to be. So they're very uncomfortable. And through that I do think a big part of it is our team psychologist‑‑ our trainer's phenomenal. I think that's a huge part of it. And I think our strength coach, just having a strength coach. I was very lucky to walk in to having a full‑time strength coach with our other programs and really lucked out there, too. Q. Some of the players talked about Mat Bodie's leadership. What is it about Mat that the players respect so much and what makes him such a great leader? COACH BENNETT: Just the way he carries himself. He has a tremendous amount of pride. Him and I‑‑ ever since his first year, just working with him when I was back with the defensemen, you could really sense that from the first practice on. Even before he got to campus, he would call and ask what can I work on. And obviously through recruiting you watch him a couple times and that's it. Obviously work on a few things. He mentioned one tonight, working on his shot. And he has. You've seen some beautiful goals the past few games here, but that's due to his hard work. But I think the pride factor, he's got that Winnipeg, Manitoba pride going. And at times it's fun to watch. Yeah, at times he can take an odd penalty here or there. But I'd be a hypocrite there, too. But it's one of those things as well. I just love the pride he has. MODERATOR: Coach, thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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